Around 21 December in the northern hemisphere, night reigns supreme. Then the movement reverses : the days begin to lengthen. A discreet moment on the clock of the sky, but decisive for the human imagination. Everywhere, the same intuition : in the heart of darkness, light regains its breath. The winter solstice marks this cosmic pivot. Civilisations have celebrated it in a thousand ways, but with the same message : the world is not doomed to chaos ; it breathes, retreats, returns.
An astronomical fact that has become a symbol
The solstice is first and foremost a physical reality : the Earth’s axis, tilted at an angle of approximately 23.4°, places the Sun at its lowest point in the sky during the day. The ancients noticed this very early on. They built structures that ‘speak’ with the sky : at Newgrange (Ireland), a ray of sunlight illuminates the burial chamber at the solstice ; at Maeshowe (Orkney), light penetrates the megalithic passage ; at Mnajdra (Malta), alignments mark the extremes of the year. Observation gives rise to symbolism : night reaches its peak, but does not triumph ; it is at the darkest hour that light prepares to return.
Rome, the ‘Unconquered Sun’ and the spirit of Saturnalia
In Rome, the winter cycle combined Saturnalia (mid-December) and Natalis Solis Invicti (25 December under Emperor Aurelian). The Saturnalia turned everyday life upside down : gifts, banquets, joyful licence — a break from the norm that served as a reminder that order is also reborn from celebration. The Unconquered Sun summed it up : the sun ‘conquers’ because it returns, even if at first glance all we see is a promise.
Yule in the North : the green that persists
Among the Germanic and Scandinavian peoples, Yule (Jól) celebrated the renewal of the sun : fires, logs, garlands, always green. Fir, holly and ivy branches : visible signs of life that does not yield. The modern Yule log keeps the memory alive : from a log that was burned slowly to accompany the return of the sun, we have retained the idea of a shared fire — which became a dessert in Western Europe in the 19th century.
The two solstice gates : passageways of time, passageways of the soul
In ancient times, people spoke of the two ‘gates’ of heaven, which are the solstices : one in s ummer, the other in winter. Around the summer solstice, astrological tradition placed the Gate of Men (sign of Cancer): the moment when souls descend to the physical world, when the light outside reaches its peak before beginning to wane. Around the winter solstice, people spoke of the Gate of the Gods (sign of Capricorn): the opposite passage, where light is reborn from the invisible and the soul is called to return to its source.
These images, inherited from authors such as Macrobius, express the profound dynamics of the year : expansion then return, exteriority then interiority.
In Christian culture, a double echo has taken hold : 24 June, the feast of St John the Baptist, accompanies the summer solstice — a figure of the precursor who announces and points to the light of day ; 27 December, the feast of Saint John the Evangelist, follows the winter solstice — a figure of contemplation who gathers and meditates on the light that has become internal.
Two poles, two emphases, one symbolic arc : in summer, light radiates and offers itself ; in winter, light germinates in the heart of the night. Between these two doors, the whole year becomes a passageway : learning to recognise light when it bursts forth, and to keep it when it is born.
A useful clarification about dates
People often confuse solstices and Saint John’s Day. However, they are not the same days : the winter solstice falls around 21 December, while Saint John’s Day (Saint John the Evangelist) is celebrated on 27 December ; similarly, the summer solstice occurs around 21 June, while Saint John’s Day (Saint John the Baptist) is on 24 June. Traditions have linked these landmarks (the ‘gates’ of time and the two Johns), and their symbolic meanings correspond, but they do not celebrate the same thing : on the one hand, an astronomical phenomenon ; on the other, a liturgical commemoration.
Persia, China, the Americas : the same shift, different flavours
In the east, in Iran, Shab‑e Yaldā (the ‘night of birth’) brings families and friends together around red fruits (pomegranates, watermelons), poetry (Hafez) and light. In China, Dongzhi marks the end of the yin year and the beginning of the yang phase : people gather and eat tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) to promote cohesion and sweetness. In North America, several Native American nations mark the solstice with ceremonies of renewal and gratitude (among the Hopi, Soyal symbolically opens a new cycle and prepares the community for the return of the sun). Different gestures, same core : holding together, giving thanks, starting over.
Why Christmas is celebrated on (or around) the solstice
Early Christianity did not immediately set a date for the birth of Jesus. Between the 3rd and 4th centuries, the Latin tradition chose 25 December, echoing the solar cycle : the Nativity became the birth of Light in the world. This was not a sudden substitution, but rather a symbolic revival : where in ancient times the unconquered sun was celebrated, the liturgy speaks of ‘the true light that enlightens every man’. Two languages, one and the same theme : the victory of day over night, understood sometimes physically, sometimes spiritually.
Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas and 25 December : a story of twists and turns
The character of Santa Claus did not originate on 25 December. He is a combination of several traditions : first, Saint Nicholas of Myra (celebrated on 6 December), protector of children in Northern and Eastern Europe ; then the Dutch Sinterklaas, imported to New Amsterdam (later New York); and finally the Anglo-American reimagining in the 19th century.
The poem ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’ (Clement Clarke Moore, 1823) established the image of the jolly old man travelling by sleigh ; illustrator Thomas Nast (1860s – 1880s) gave him his modern silhouette. Coca-Cola advertising in the 1930s popularised the figure in red, but did not invent him.
In France, Father Christmas (Santa Claus) really took hold in the 20th century, often alongside – or replacing – the feast of Saint Nicholas. In other words, the symbolism of the solstice (return of light, gifts, warmth of the hearth) already existed ; Christmas embraced it ; Santa Claus adopted its festive traditions. The date of 25 December is therefore not the origin of the character, but the setting in which these legacies came together.
Shared archetypes : fire, star, greenery, child
Four images travel from one culture to another.
- Fire : visible symbol of the sun’s return, warmth that brings people together and protects them.
- The star : sign of direction ; first to appear, last to fade, it guides the gaze beyond the darkness.
- Greenery : fir, holly, laurel ; a promise of life that survives the winter.
- The child : a universal figure of new beginnings and fertile fragility. It receives the world’s newest gifts and then takes care of them.
These symbols are not mutually exclusive ; they echo each other from one shore of the Mediterranean to the other, from the steppes of Asia to the forests of the North.
The contemporary meaning : slow down, light up, connect
Our fast-paced societies have retained the trappings of winter rituals, but sometimes less of their substance. The solstice offers a simple reminder : slow down (at the darkest hour, we listen), light up (a gesture of light dispels much of the night), connect (family, friends, community). Lighting a candle, sharing a meal, reading aloud, walking under the winter sky : these are all modest gestures that place our lives within a rhythm greater than ourselves. The solstice does not teach spectacular miracles ; it whispers : ‘Start again. A little. But start again.’
Conclusion
The winter solstice sums up a very ancient wisdom : light does not triumph by force, it returns. It gains a breath each day, almost unnoticed by the world, and that is enough. People have understood this for a long time ; our calendars preserve the memory. Honouring this passage means consenting to this dynamic — and allowing clarity to gain ground within ourselves.
In the heart of the longest night, may the light gain a little ground each day.
Wishing you all a very happy holiday season — Merry Christmas and Happy Winter Solstice — in the peace of your homes and the light of your hearts.
To go further
- Mircea Eliade, Le Mythe de l’éternel retour (Gallimard)
- François Walter et Alain Cabantous, Noël – Une si longue histoire
The above references are provided for informational and cultural purposes only. There is no commercial relationship with the authors, publishers, or platforms mentioned ; these links are not advertisements, but rather further reading intended to provide more in-depth information on the subject matter.
Where possible, the images used to illustrate these articles are systematically accompanied by a reference to their source and credits. Where no source is indicated, this is because the information was not available. These images are used solely for illustrative purposes, in a non-profit context, without any commercial intent or appropriation of the work.